Centrica has achieved a two-month high on the FTSE 100, while the overall London market fell by one per cent.

Some have speculated that the rise in share value may have been caused by widespread belief that Centrica is vulnerable to a takeover.

A representative from brokerage firm RBC commented: “With the incidence of deals in the energy sector on the rise it is not that surprising that Centrica may have been seen as a target... It has underperformed on the weak commodity environment but remains a company with a strong competitive position in the market generating robust free cash flow.”

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